Coupler-disconnector tool for cartridge belt links



Oct. 3, 1961 R. H. CASLER ETAL 3,002,416 v COUPLER-DISCONNECTOR TOOL FOR CARTRIDGE BELT LINKS Filed June 21, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 LEI INVENTOR. REE? H- B11515? BY 511E ERIN: TEIWET Oct. 3, 1961 R. H. CASLER ETAL 3,002,416

COUPLER-DISCONNECTOR TOOL FOR CARTRIDGE BELT LINKS Filed June 21, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

REE? P11211515? BY 5111312111 NFEIIWE'TI 4. gaw- United States Patent Q 7 means 1C6 Patented Oct. 3, 1961 This invention relates to tools for moving cartridges into and from a linked cartridge belt and more particularly to hand tools for linking and delinking a disintegrating cartridge belt to separate sections therefrom and couple sections thereto.

It is convenient and sometimes necessary with machine guns which are fed with cartridges by means of a linked belt to remove sections of the belt when the gun is moved. It is also convenient to provide the cartridge belt in sections which can be easily handled with the sections being connected in the field.

Previously, the connections and separations of belt sections were effected by makeshift means but this was not satisfactory because the tension with which the cartridges are retained in some of the belt links makes it difficult for the cartridges to be displaced without specially designed tools.

It is therefore, an object of this invention to provide for disintegrating cartridge belts, in which the cartridges provide the connection between adjoining links, a hand tool which readily pushes a cartridge from a linked belt to separate a section therefrom and presses a cartridge into the complementary links at the ends of two belt sections for connection thereof. a

It is another object of this invention to provide such a hand tool which is rugged in construction, handily used an convenient to carry and which may be used on either side of the belt for moving a cartridge into or from a cartridge belt.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view showing the hand tool positioned for pushing a cartridge into an aligned link;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the cartridge fully linked; 7

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the hand tool positioned for removing a cartridge from the cartridge belt;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the cartridge displaced in the belt for separation thereof;

FIG. 5 is a view taken off line 5--5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a view taken oif line 6-6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a view taken off line 7--7 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a view taken oif line 8-8 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 9 is reduced perspective view of the tool.

Shown in the figures is a cartridge belt 12 which is formed by a plurality of links 14 each one of which is re'leasably connected to an adjoining link by a cartridge 16 which acts as a hinge pin therebetween. Also shown is a hand tool 18 for pushing one of the cartridges 16 from belt 12 for separation thereof, as shown in FIGS.

3 and 4, and for installing a cartridge into the belt to couple sections thereof together as 1 and 2. V

Link 14 is of conventional design and the one illustrated shown in FIGS.

is the M13 link for cal. 7.62 mm. cartridges, which are.

used by the U.S. machine gun M60; Each of the links 14 includes a front loop 20 and a rear loop 22 which are of open type and each loop is integrally joined at one end to a bridge 24. for coaxial alignment. The loops 20 and 22 are spring formed to a diameter which is smaller than that of the case of cartridge 16 so as to resiliently clasp the case when pressed axially thereinto. A center loop 26 extends similarly from bridge 24 between front loop 20 and rear loop 22 and opposite thereto so as to be received between the front and rear loops of another link '14. Whereby, when a cartridge 16 is inserted axially through front and rear loops, 20 and 22, of one link 14 and the center loop 26 of another link positioned therebetween the two links are coupled together. A tab 28 extends integrally rearward from rear loop 22 and is provided with a detent 30 which is receivableby an extractor groove 32 around the base of cartridge 16.

Tool 18 is provided with arms 34 and 36 which are hingedly connected at similar ends by a pivot bolt 38. A nub 40 projects inwardly from each of the arms 34 and 36 and adjacent the connected ends thereof and the The arms 34 and 36 are angularly formed and are assembled to bow outwardly from each other so that when tool 18 is in the open position the sections of the arms at the free ends thereof are approximately in parallel relationship. This facilitates the grasping of tool 18 in one hand and the application of force by the fingers of the grasping hand to close the tool.

The free end of arm 34 is provided with a flaring portion 48 which is joined as by welding to a cradle 50 having an inner end 52. Arm 34 is joined to cradle 50 adjacent inner end 52 so that the cradle extends outwardly from the arm and so that the longitudinal axis of such cradle lies in the plane of movement of such arm 34 and arm 36. Cradle 50 is provided with an arcuate channel 54 which is longitudinally disposed along the underside thereof to receive cartridge 16 and the sections of the loops 20, 22 and 26 which are engaged therewith.

The sides of cradle 50 are provided with transversal recesses 56 which are disposed so as to receive the bridges 24 on opposite sides of the engaged cartridge 16 when the cradle is positioned thereover for the coupling application of tool 18.

A pusher 58 extends inwardly fro mthe free endjof arm 36 towards arm 34 so that the longitudinal axis of the pusher aligns approximately with that of channel 54 when tool 18 is in the closed position. Pusher 58 is provided with an end 59 which is spaced a predetermined distance from arm 36, as hereinafter explained. A guide 60 extends inwardly from arm 36 above pusher 58 so as to be substantially parallel therewith. Guide 60 is provided with a terminal end 61 and a concave surface 62 along the underside and such guide is sufficiently longer than pusher 58 to providea contact section 63 which projects beyond end 59 of pusher 58. When contact section 63 is engaged with the rear rim of cartridge 16, pusher 58 is positioned so that end 59 thereof will contact the center of the base of the selected cartridge when tool 18 is in the open position and such contact section will maintain the end of the pusher approximately central of the base of the engaged cartridge during actuation of tool 18 to the closed position. Pusher 58 and guide 64 are separated by a notch 64 which permits the pusher to enter link 14 for pushing the inclosed cartridge 16 therealong. A ramp 66 is provided on end 61 of guide 6% so as to extend downwardly and rearwardly therefrom whereby the guide will ride over rear loop 22 and central loop 26 during separation of belt 12 to prevent interference between the end of the guide and the rear edges of such loops.

End 61 of guide 60 is disposed for contact with flaring portion 48 when tool 18 is in the closed position to limit the displacement of arms 34 and 36 towards each other. The recesses 56 and the distance of end 59 of pusher 53 from arm 36 are so correlated that during connection of two sections of belt 12 the cartridge being inserted into the aligned loops 2%, 22 and 26 is pushed thereinto to a point where detent 30 in tab 23 is received by extractor groove 32 of the cartridge when tool 18 is actuated to closed position.

End Sfi of pusher E3 is so related to the inner end 52 of cradle 50 that, when such inner end is engaged with the forward bridges 24, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cartridge being disengaged is pushed through rear loop 22 and center loop 26 of the engaged links 14 for disconnection thereof when the arms 34 and 36 are pressed together. The rear end of the cartridge, however, remains clasped by front loop 26 so that it will not be misplaced or lost.

It is obvious that tool 18 may be used on either side of belt 12 for separating and coupling sections thereof.

Thus, when sections of belt 12 are to be coupled together, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the empty centerloop 26, which extends from one end of one of the sections, is disposed between and in axial alignment with the empty loops 2%) and 22 which extend from one end of the other section and a cartridge 16 is inserted by hand through the loops sufiiciently to maintain the end links together. The case of cartridge 16 is tapered and therefore partial insertion is easily effected by hand. Tool 18 is then positioned so that the contact section 63 of guide o engages the rear section of cartridge 16 with the end of pusher 58 centrally contacting the base thereof and cradle Si is positioned for engagement with the related links 14 so that the bridges 24 on opposite sides of cartridge 16 are received by the recesses 56. The arms 34 and 36 are then squeezed together to the closed position pushing cartridge 16 through the engaging links 14 until the end 61 contacts flaring portion 43. Whereupon, cartridge 16 is properly positioned in the cooperating links 14 with detent 30 received by extractor groove 32.

When a section of belt 12 is to be separated therefrom as best shown in FEGS. 3 and 4, cradle 59 is positioned so as to en age with the linked cartridge 16 at the selected point of separation. The front end of linked cartridge 16 is positioned in channel 3 with inner end 52 of cradle 59 contactiri the front edges of the bridges 24. The rear end of cartridge 16 is contacted by the front portion of guide 69 so as to rest in concave surface 62 therein whereby the end of extension 58 is centrally disposed respective to the base of the cartridge. The arms 34 and 36 are then squeezed together whereupon cartridge 16 is pushed through rear loop 22 and center loop 26 to disconnect belt 12 thereat. The partially delinked cartridge 16 remains retained by front loop 20- so that it will not be inadvertently lost or misplaced.

From the foregoing it is clearly apparent that there is provided therein a hand tool which is especially well adapted for moving cartridges into or out of the engaging links for separation or for coupling sections of a cartridge belt and which is rugged in construction, easily used and positive in operation.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein, it is evident that many variations may be devised within the spirit and scope thereof and the following claims are intended to include such variations.

We claim:

1. A hand tool for coupling and separating sections of a cartridge belt composed'of a plurality of links each including a front loop and a rear loop coaxially joined to a bridge, a center loop extending oppositely from the bridge from between the front and rear loops for insertion between the front and rear loops of another link to axially receive a cartridge fOr releasably joining the interengaged links, and a detent extending from the rear loop for engagement with an extractor groove in the cartridge engaged thereby, the hand tool including: a first arm and a second arm. hingedly connected at similar ends for pivotal displacement outwardly apart to an open position and inwardly together to a closed position; means on said first and second arms for stopping outward displacement thereof at the open position; a spring interposed between said first and second arms for biasing said arms to the open position; a cradle extending integrally from the free end of said first arnrso that the longitudinal axis of said cradle is disposed in the extended plane of movement of said first and second arms; said cradle being adapted to engage with the cartridge belt in a first position for pressing a cartridge into an interengaged pair of the links to couple sections of the belt together and in a second position for slidingly displacing a cartridge in the belt for separation thereof; said cradle being provided with an arcuate channel longitudinally disposed along the underside thereof for receiving a linked cartridge when said cradle engages the belt in the first position, a pair of transversal recesses disposed for receiving the bridges on opposite sides of the iinked cart ridge received by said channel, and an inner end disposed for contact with the front loop of a pair of interengaged links when said cradle engages the belt in the second position; a pusher extending integrally from the free end of said second arm for approximate coaxial alignment with said channel when said first and second arms are in the closed position; engaging means disposed on said first and second arms for stopping the inner displacement thereof at the closed position; and a terminating end on said pusher disposed for contact with the base of a cartridge in the belt when said cradle engages the belt in the first and second positions, said terminating end being correlated to said recesses and to said engaging means so that when said cradle has engagement with the belt in the first position and'said first and second arms are pivoted to the closed position the cartridge contacted by said terminating end is pressed thereby into the engaging pair of links to engage the related detent thereon with the extractor groove of the cartridge, and said terminating end beingcorrelated to said inner end of said cradle so that when said cradle is in engagement with the belt in the second position and said first and second arms are pivoted to the closed position a selected cartridge in the belt is pressed from the rear and center loops of the engaging pair of links.

2. The hand tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said engaging means include a guide extending from said second arm above said pusher so as to be substantially parallel therewith, said guide having a length greater than that of said pusher, a concave surface disposed longitudinally along the underside of said guide for engagement with the rear perimeter of the case of the cartridge, a contact section formed at the free end of said guide where extending beyond said end of said pusher, said contact section being spaced from said pusher so that when the rear rim of the cartridge is in engagement with said contact section said end of said pusher contacts the base of the cartridge approximately central thereof, and a ramp disposed at the free end of said guide for camming engagement With the loops of the links gripping the 5 linked cartridge to prevent interference by the loops during movement of the free end of said guide thereover.

3. The hand tool as defined in claim 2 wherein said guide includes a terminal end disposed for engagement with a flaring section on said first arm to stop the inner 10 displacement of said first and second arms at the closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,359,842 Haberstump 1 0a. 10, 1944 2,415,561 Jervey Feb. 11, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS $3 8,815 Great Britain Aug. 18, 1941 

